1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a swimming pool that is associated with a private residence wherein the residence is located in a coastal area and the swimming pool is formed by pre-cast hollow core concrete panels supported by a piling system.
2. Background of the Prior Art
As water front living has become more and more desirable, the coastlines of various bodies of water have become ever more crowded. While living on or near the water is found by many to be an ideal way of life, placing homes proximate a body of water is not without problems. Large bodies of water such as the Atlantic ocean or the Gulf of Mexico produce hurricanes and tropical storms that can wreak havoc onto entire coastal communities. Smaller bodies of water, such as large lakes and rivers, can also produce crippling weather systems that can cause substantial damage to homes located in the vicinity. In order to protect against adverse weather systems that can impose upon buildings located in a storm's path, building techniques have been improved to help such buildings better withstand strong storms. Many such techniques are mandated by building codes and ordinances.
Modern building construction uses stronger construction materials and better construction techniques to help minimize the damage occasioned upon a building during a storm. Using 2×6 inch studs (as opposed to 2×4 studs) for structural walls, designing 2 one car garages instead of a single 2 car garage, and anchoring the roof of the building to its foundation are all examples of construction techniques that are used to help a building withstand the winds that are imposed upon the building by a fierce storm system.
In addition to constructing the building proper with advanced construction techniques, the building is also be anchored to the ground with improved techniques. The old form of construction was similar to standard residential building construction techniques. A footer-based monolithic slab was poured and served as the foundation for the rest of the building. Although this standard construction method was satisfactory for many buildings, it is not ideally suited for building on a coastline.
Although the wind produced by a severe storm can cause substantial damage to a building, oftentimes, the storm surge produced by the storm causes the bulk of the damage. Although a monolithic slab will typically not fail due to a strong wind (we have yet to see a storm that can lift several yards of poured concrete in the same way that the wind can lift a relatively lite wood and shingle roof) such a slab if subjected to a strong storm surge, especially a sustained surge that lasts several hours, can have the substrata upon which the slab is placed undermined and eventually washed away causing the slab to collapse resulting in substantial damage, if not outright collapse, of the building which is anchored to the slab.
Furthermore, the soil that is found along many coastlines tends to be less than ideal for placement of monolithic slabs. Such soils tend to have compositions that include silty and loose sands as well as peat. Even with the best compaction methods, such soil compositions tend to have unusually pronounced and relatively unpredictable settlement patterns which can cause uneven settlement of the slab. In minor situations, this can result in slab cracking which can cause cracking of rigid floor coverings such as ceramic tile. In extreme situations, a portion of the slab can settle a relatively large amount relative to the remainder of the slab, which can result in a portion of the entire building shifting, causing substantial damage to the building or even causing the building to be uninhabitable.
In order to overcome the problem with slab construction in coastal areas, pilings, such as wood pilings or pre-cast concrete pilings, are used. Such pilings are either drilled or driven into the ground below the level where loose and silty soils and peat are found and into a relatively firm soil foundation. Beams extend between the pilings and the building is built onto the beams. As the pilings are driven deep into the ground below the unstable soils, typically 20 feet or more, a powerful storm surge that wrecks havoc on the unstable soils will not unduly impact the pilings and the building thereon. While a particularly powerful storm surge may leave such a building an island, it is far easier to replace the soil around a building than to replace the building itself. Additionally, as the pilings are anchored in stable soils, soil settlement issues tend to be minimal and the building upon the pilings tends to settle within expected parameters.
Although the use of pilings protect the foundation upon which the building rests from a storm surge, the pilings do not protect the building proper from the storm surge. Accordingly, many piling-based buildings are built above the ground, with a building being built 8 feet or more above grade not uncommon. While such off grade building construction protects the building from all but the most catastrophic storm surges, it does create some inconveniences.
Many coastal residences are owned by relatively affluent people who have swimming pools. Unlike the building proper, the swimming pool is placed into the ground. As the swimming pool is much smaller than a building and as the ground itself acts as structural support for the pool, both settlement and storm surge issues with a pool tend to be muted. Additionally, it tends to be far less expensive to fix a pool than to fix the home associated with the pool. However, an in-ground pool that is associated with a pilling-based house located 8 or more feet above grade presents some very real inconveniences. Users of the pool have to descend a flight a stairs to use the pool and thereafter ascend a flight of stairs to go into the house to retrieve a cold beer, for example. While not an insurmountable problem, such ascent and descent can take some fun out of using the pool, especially for a home owner hosting a pool party who must make frequent trips between pool and house.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for system that eliminates the inconveniences associated with an in-ground pool and a house that supported on pilings and is located above ground. Such a system must be of relatively simple design and construction.